Koniuszewski: Polish political messianism

I remind you that in the erstwhile issue of Polish thought we analysed the phenomenon of judaic messianism.

The final conclusion was that its historical evolution consisted in the fact that the individualistic kind of this phenomenon acquired features indicating the salvific vocation of the full nation and the resulting right to act as planet leadership.

In accordance with the title, let us now decision on to Polish matters, namely to our political messianism. It is the imitation of the judaic tradition, and aside from any slight influence of Sarmatism, it is completely copycat. But since he had hatched in the nineteenth century, in the era of victorious secularization, rebellion against Christianity—he is simply a messianism alleged collective, collective. It can be decently brought to say to our chief messianist Adam Mickiewicz that “Poland is the Christ of the nations”.

This is the program erstwhile the language of romanticist poesy was not only built false and heretical yet spiritual, but the political direction of applicable action was drawn. The Polish past was given a circumstantial sense. Finally, on this occasion, misconception was justified in the actual and real position of the nation and, above all, in its harmful decisions. This resulted in a series of failed national uprisings. The alleged independenceists, which not only did not change our cases for the better, but even made the situation worse. But how did the literary salon actually scope the position of a national leader, building programs, and that poetic works replaced them? Let us focus on the main typical of this peculiarly Polish messianism: Adam Mickiewicz. No uncertainty a creative genius, but in any case neither an ideologist (in the appropriate sense of the word), nor a politician. Though he considered himself the incarnation of the full thing. And he was a spiritual rebel, a real heretic, who, for the remainder of his earthly days, believed, for example, in the wandering of souls, which he repeatedly expressed. The vast spiritual space in which he lived undoubtedly had a considerable influence on his creative craftsmanship, but surviving in specified a haught he had no qualities predestining him to be the political leader he besides sought to be. He himself built his visionary constructions, reflecting on our history, course of past and destiny he was immersed in judaic mysticism, and above all Israeli messianism of unorthodox origin. His full work has a kind of relation with it, as it seems.

In this case I mention to the large trial of Prof. Zdzisław Kętrzyński Mickiewicz Hermetic. Its first edition dates back to 1980. It has late been resumed. This survey rather unambiguously points to the inspiring function of not only judaic messianism, but besides that of cabalistics. As to the views and thoughts from which the leading Polish typical of Romanticism drew, let us yet callback a quote from his letter to the Polish legion created by him in Turkey. He wrote: “Without the liberation of Jews, Poland cannot rise. The Polish Union with Israel is strengthening the Republic of Poland, as ongi strengthened the military union with Lithuania". So what is it?

Antoni Koniuszewski

Think Poland, No. 49-50 (3-10.12.2023)